Soul Calibur II: Two Worlds Intertwine
by sasebo-ichiban
Summary: Our heroes have made it into Hyrule and are now little kids, and Ganondorf now has Soul Edge in possesion and is already testing his new powers around Hyrule! (Readers, I need your opinion on if the group should stay as kids or return back as adults.)
1. Prologue

Yunsung, a red-haired Korean, had reached the cathedral, but to his surprise, a girl with black, pony-tailed hair, was there waiting for him. It was her; Yunsung's old travel companion, Talim. He had finally made it to the sword, and now she decided to stop him.  
"I can't let you go further. The sword is evil." she tried to warn him.  
"I don't care if it's evil! I will protect my country!" Yunsung replied, readying his sword.  
"Please!" Talim took out her elbow blades.  
They both battled, but Talim was far too quick. Yunsung became exhausted and fell to his knees. Talim had beaten him.  
Talim was soon taken to a new area. The ground was cracked and fire surrounded it, and a flamed skeleton confronted her. She knew what she had to do and battled the Inferno. Several times it changed it fighting technique. Some she recognized as the same as people she fought along the way to Soul Edge. Soon, she had finally defeated the demon and was brought back to the cathedral. She turned and found Soul Edge.  
Talim came face-to-face with the demonic blade everyone sought after. Finally, after traveling for so long, she could finish her mission right now. Yunsung carefully watched Talim as she closed her eyes. Once she had concentrated enough energy, she stabbed the blade's eye. A bright light illuminated the cathedral and the sword dissolved into nothing. That's odd. The blade didn't seem as powerful as it was thought to be. Maybe it was because of the experience I gained during my travels. After she had carried out her duties, Yunsung ran up to her.  
"What did you do that for?!" he asked in shock.  
"If the sword still exists, it would take the life of another innocent, so it's best to destroy it." she answered.  
"Well, what if someone had the strength to overcome the evil?" Yunsung rattled on. "You mean someone like you?!" Talim shot back.  
"No! Well.I mean." she had put him in the spot light. Did he really think he had the potential to handle the sword? Now that she brought up the question, was he even strong enough?  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you like that." Talim apologized.  
She's a strong girl. Why is she apologizing? Well, it's very kind of her to do that. That was why Yunsung had taken a liking to her the first time they met. They both looked at where the sword once stood. Suddenly Yunsung felt a poke at his back.  
"I finally found you!" Both Yunsung and Talim turned to see who it was.  
"Seung Mina!" Yunsung was surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?!" "Well, I came here to bring you home and deal with the sword myself, but it already looks like you beat me to it." Seung Mina had to admit defeat, but she didn't want to feel so old. "It's good to know that the sword is gone for good."  
"Actually, I was gonna use it to protect my country." Yunsung admitted.  
"What?! You're quite the idiot, aren't you, kid?" Seung Mina changed her mind about being old. At least she wasn't clueless about what the sword could do to the wielder. "But it's okay! Talim destroyed it!" Yunsung quickly added.  
"Oh, that's good, but why were you planning on using the sword? Haven't you heard about its evil? You could've turned into.into someone like Nightmare!" Seung Mina went back to the topic on Yunsung's intentions of the sword.  
"At least Talim stopped me! Can't you just lay off the subject already?!" Yunsung defended himself.  
Strange, Talim could've sworn the two were related. "Please, can't we just go back home now that the sword is gone?" she suggested.  
"Fine." the two practical siblings folded their arms on their chest.  
  
Sorry if it was kinda short. Chapters will get longer as the story progresses. 


	2. Journey back Home

As punishment for his bad judgment, Yunsung was forced to carry the entire luggage that they had (Idea from Seung Mina's ending). Talim stayed behind him while Seung Mina led the group. It had been several hours since the destruction of Soul Edge and the sun was already setting, so the trio decided to camp out near a lake. They were only a few miles away from their destination; Athens.  
They all sat around a campfire and talked about their motives when they started their adventure for Soul Edge. Yunsung wanted to use the sword to protect his country, Seung Mina was searching for Yunsung and would bring him home after she destroyed the sword, but they didn't know about Talim's motive.  
"So, why did you feel like you had to destroy the sword?" Seung Mina asked.  
"The winds." Talim quietly answered, followed by a moment of silence.  
"Yeah, sure." Seung Mina yawned, obviously thinking she was a little crazy. "Well, I'm exhausted." Seung Mina got up to stretch and cuddled next to a nearby tree. Talim rested on the area she sat, while Yunsung sat staring at the flames and then Talim. Yunsung knew Talim's real motives for destroying the sword. He began to think about the first time they met.  
******  
Yunsung was still continuing his adventure for Soul Edge. He was in a forest, and it was already nightfall, but his excitement urged him to move on without taking a break. It had been 3 days since he set off for his journey and his spirit was bright. Although he was excited, he was still hoping to find food.  
At that moment he saw a faint glimmer of an orange light. Great! A campsite! Yunsung quietly rushed toward the light. He was now several feet away from the campsite. Not wanting to crash in so suddenly, he climbed the nearest tree and went as far as he could on a branch to see who was camping out. It was a good view too. Right below him was a black-haired girl, dressed in green and white, probably a bit younger than him. He couldn't help but stare for a while. Then, the branch he was on began to crack. Finally, it gave way, causing Yunsung to plunge to the ground.  
The next thing he knew, he found himself on top of the girl. They were staring each other at the eyes.  
"Uhhh..." Yunsung tried to explain the situation he had gotten himself in. The girl quickly punched him in the stomach and pushed him aside, getting 2 elbow blades. She pointed both at Yunsung, "Who are you and what do you want?!" she asked.  
"Whoa! Hold up! I didn't mean to hurt you! I'm Yunsung and I.was just hungry and.I was hoping to find some food." he answered. The girl's face softened.  
"Oh! Well." she walked towards the fire and took a stick with a chicken on it. "I was going to eat it soon, but I guess it's better with company." This girl was strange to him. She was very kind to strangers, and to Yunsung, very cute. Yunsung took one of the chicken's legs and began to eat.  
"So, what's your name?" he asked with some chicken coming out of his stuffed mouth. The girl let out a giggle, "Talim." she answered. "Okay.well.nice to meet you, Talim." he let out the hand that wasn't holding the chicken leg. "Nice to meet you too, Yunsung." she shook his hand.  
"Anyway, what are you doing way out here?" Yunsung asked.  
"I'm seeking out Soul Edge, perhaps you've heard of it?" Talim answered, finishing her share of the dinner.  
"Really? So am I!" Yunsung replied setting the chicken bone down.  
"I guess this means we can travel together!" Talim became excited about the news.  
Yunsung was also glad. He was used to having company back at home. Traveling alone for only 3 days had already made him homesick, but it also made him more determined to seek out the Sword of Salvation.  
"Yeah, it's a lot better than traveling alone." he quietly added. "I know. It makes me want to go back home sometimes." Talim agreed.  
"I'd like to go back home too." Yunsung closed his eyes, imagining his home in Korea. "Well, we have each other, so we'll be able to make the journey." Talim decided to look on the bright side of the journey. They continued talking about their homes that they had left, in order to seek out Soul Edge. Soon, the two decided it was time to sleep. Talim rested on the tree that Yunsung had hung over hours ago before they met, while Yunsung rested on the warm earth.  
The next day, they set off, heading for Athens. They decided to ask the townsfolk about the sword they were seeking, but came up with no clues about Soul Edge. The duo decided to take a break at a pub. As Yunsung brought some drinks over to their table, Talim brought up a question, "Why are you seeking out Soul Edge?" he set the drinks down, took his seat and thought about it for a while.  
"I need its powers so I can protect my country." he answered. Talim looked down for a moment. He probably said something wrong. "What's wrong?" he asked. Talim looked up at him. "You can't use the sword! Haven't you heard about what it could do? You won't be able to control its evil. It will take over your soul and you could.you could be gone forever!" her voice had startled everyone in the pub, and tears started to stream down her cheeks. Yunsung was angered a little. He wouldn't let some girl get in the way of protecting his country. He got up from his seat.  
"I don't care if it's evil! I can handle the evil in that sword and I'll protect my country with it!" he was now yelling at her.  
Talim shot up from her seat, knocking her chair down, "Well I'm not going to stand by and watch the evil consume your soul! I'll.I'll stop you if I have to!" Yunsung gathered his belongings and headed for the door.  
He turned to face her one last time before separating from her, "I'll get that sword and you can't stop me." The doors slammed shut and Talim was left alone while the people at the pub stared at her.  
It hadn't even been more than a day and Talim was already attached to Yunsung. Before she knew it, he left her. She wouldn't allow Soul Edge to take him away. She'd stop him, whether he liked it or not.  
  
Okay, hope you guys enjoyed it so far. More chapters will come. ^_^ 


	3. New Companions

Once Yunsung had finished recollecting his memories, the fire had already died out, but he noticed another source of light across the lake. Curious, he left Seung Mina and Talim behind as he approached the unknown campsite. A band of assassins could be there, so he took his White Storm with him. He didn't want to swim across the lake because he would be easily spotted, so he'd have to sneak from around the lake.  
He made sure not to rush so he wouldn't make noise against the bushes. As he approached the campsite, he could see three figures; two men and a female. One man was dressed in red and had a staff with him. The girl had a small, lightweight sword, but what caught Yunsung's attention was the other man. He seemed like he was from another world. He was dressed in green and had a strange feature: pointed ears like an elf's. Yunsung assumed they had been searching for Soul Edge as well when they found that it had already been destroyed. The party was clearly having a good time. The female was giggling while the two men were chuckling along with her. Yunsung was reminded of the short time he traveled with Talim.  
******  
Yunsung and Talim left their campsite and continued towards Athens. They continued their conversation about their home. Yunsung continued his story, "Sometimes, I'd go to the rooftops and look at the sky for a while. Then this guy would come out and yell at me." he stopped walking and picked up some leaves. He made a fake mustache out of them and imitated the man who had scolded him whenever he'd been found on the rooftops. Talim couldn't help but laugh. Watching her laugh made Yunsung burst into laughter as well.  
******  
Yunsung looked up and noticed that the four were staring in his direction. How had his cover been blown? The answer was right behind him. He felt a warm breath against his neck and slowly turned around. Yunsung found himself staring straight into the eyes of a lizard man. The lizard man had its weapon raised in the air and ready to strike him.  
Quickly, Yunsung tumbled out of harm's way and into the group's campsite. The female quickly reacted by taking her sword in hand and getting ready to do battle. The lizard man jumped in the air, aiming to strike at her, but she quickly shielded the block with her sword. Behind the lizard man was the man with the staff. He put his staff on the lizard man's neck, choking him. The lizard man was squirming in his grasp. He kicked his feet up, trying to escape, knocking the female to the ground. The elvish man behind Yunsung took out a bow and shot an arrow. The lizard man's squirming led to an arrow at its leg. It squealed in pain and tossed its shield, knocking the elvish warrior in the gut. The man with the staff tightened his grip.  
"You!" he looked at Yunsung, "Kill him now!" Yunsung took his sword and forced it into the lizard man's stomach. The squealing slowly stopped and the man with the staff finally let go.  
The female came up to Yunsung, pointing her sword at him. "Where did you come from? Are you another assassin?" she questioned him.  
"Hey I didn't mean to intrude! I was camping with my friends and saw your campfire. I just wanted to see if we were in trouble." Yunsung quickly answered. They didn't say anything. He could already tell that they didn't believe him.  
"Yunsung! There you are!" Everyone turned around to see who it was. To Yunsung's relief, it was Talim who was accompanied by Seung Mina. "Hey what are you doing to the kid?" Seung Mina asked the female who still had her sword held up at him.  
"Oh, I'm sorry." she apologized as she put her weapon away.  
"I'm sorry if he bothered you. He's a bit nosy." Seung Mina came up and gave a "what did you think you were doing?" stare.  
"It's okay. He kind of helped us anyway." the man with the staff pointed at the dead lizard man. The female looked back at Yunsung, Talim and Seung Mina with a happy face, "Now that we're all here, I guess we can all camp out together." she stated.  
"I don't think that's a good idea, Xianghua." the man with the staff warned. "Why not, Kilik? Soul Edge is destroyed, so there's no danger now, right?" Xianghua turned to face the man with the staff. "Hmph, alright." Kilik finally gave in.  
Everyone sat around the campfire. "So, who's he?" Yunsung pointed at the elvish man.  
"Oh, that's Link." Kilik answered. "He told us that he came from another world." Xianghua added. That could explain the weird outfit and ears.  
"I can speak only little." Link answered for himself. "When I met them, they teach me how to speak English." he continued. Once again, everyone introduced themselves; name, age, hometown, what brought them out here, etc.  
It was already past midnight, and everyone still had to recover their strength for the next day. Each of them had their own spot near a tree or on the ground. Yunsung rested on a tree, thinking about how their journey would go. All of them, except Link, lived in the east, so they would all travel until everyone came back home. He had looked forward to traveling with Seung Mina and especially Talim, but this was good too. It would be sad when they had to go their separate ways.  
  
******  
Within the outskirts of the campsite, an assassin carried a large blade. It was not just any assassin. This assassin was a female, or what the Hylians called; a Gerudo Thief. A long journey back to her master awaited her.  
  
******  
It was almost dawn, and Talim was already awake. So much had happened to her. She had destroyed the evil sword and she was traveling home with a group of 6 people including her. She strode down to the lake and washed her face. Amidst the soft splashing of water, she didn't notice the figure behind her.  
The last thing she heard before plunging headfirst into the water was a "Good morning!" from a familiar voice.  
Talim swam up to the surface, "Yunsung!" she called out to the laughing Korean. Watching him laugh urged Talim to pull him in. She did so and the laughing turned into gasping, and Talim started laughing.  
"Good morning!" she replied through her laughter.  
"Yeah, go ahead! Laugh it up!" Yunsung grinned as he splashed her. Then again, I wouldn't mind traveling alone with Talim like before.  
The laughter had awoken the rest of the group. They all went to the lake and found Yunsung and Talim, playfully splashing each other. The two didn't notice them, so they decided to have fun. Kilik began whistling, while Xianghua burst into laughter. Link just stood there and grinned. Seung Mina, with a grin on her face, came towards the two who immediately stopped messing around after noticing them all.  
"Are you guys done bathing?" she bent down to ask Yunsung and Talim.  
"Oh.uh." Talim was at a loss at words.  
".yeah! Umm.I guess we should be going." Yunsung quickly answered as he climbed out of the water and helped Talim out.  
"Ahem!" Xianghua cleared her throat. "I guess we should move on now." Some still couldn't help but continue laughing. As Yunsung got ready to leave, Seung Mina tapped his shoulder. He turned to see the baggage by her feet.  
"Aww.come on!" Yunsung whined.  
"Quit acting like a baby! Once I think you've made up for your bad judgment, we'll all carry something." Seung Mina started walking with Kilik, Xianghua, and Link. Yunsung took several large packs and placed tied them to his back and lifted up all the rest could carry, leaving one bag. He let out a sigh and bent down and held the bag with his mouth. The weight made his teeth feel like falling out. Talim caught up with him and held up the bag he held with his mouth.  
"Need any help?" she asked.  
"Yes please." his voice muffled through the bag's handle. Talim laughed at the look on Yunsung's face, took the handle out of his mouth and held the bag by her side. They both began walking. Soon, Link turned back to look at them (Obviously he had no interest in what Kilik, Xianghua and Seung Mina were talking about because he still had trouble understanding his newly learned language) and noticed the load that Yunsung was carrying.  
  
"Do you need help?" he asked as he strode by Yunsung's side.  
"Yeah, but you don't have to." his words didn't stop the elven man as he took the two bags he held.  
"So you come from another world?" Yunsung attempted to begin a conversation with the stranger. "Yes. Very different from yours. More than one race in Hyrule." Link answered.  
"How many kinds of races do you have there?" Talim joined in. "Maybe 4." Link looked up to think.  
"So.you are Yunsung." Link looked at Yunsung who was already sweating, ".and you are Talim?" he still had to get the introductions from last night correct. Talim nodded. "Very happy to make new friends." he smiled at them. 


	4. Extra Passenger to Korea

Chapter 3: Extra Passenger to Korea  
  
The group had finally reached Athens. They visited the closest store to refill on some supplies. "You guys can leave the shopping to us." Seung Mina said as the girls entered the store.  
"Well, what are we gonna do out here?" Yunsung complained.  
"Plan out what we're going to do next!" Seung Mina answered as she slammed the door on his face.  
"She is your sister?" Link asked. Kilik managed a fake cough.  
"Please, I couldn't survive with her nagging on me all day." Yunsung smirked.  
"So, how will we find a boat?" Link brought up the question.  
"Easy! We ask some captains if they can take us to Korea!" Yunsung made the task sound easy.  
"But a captain won't take us there for free or even a cheap price. Plus, that's gonna be quite a boat ride." Kilik replied through his experience of traveling the world. Seung Mina, Xianghua and Talim came out of the store, each holding a bag. "Okay.I'll hold them." Yunsung said glumly as he walked towards them (Remember he's punished to hold the bags). "No way! With all the luggage you're carrying, you might even get hungry enough to eat all the food." Seung Mina held the bag she carried away from his grasp.  
"Can we stop arguing and start heading for the port?" Xianghua suggested in order to end their quarrel. "Fine by me." Yunsung started off.  
  
They continued to travel the streets filled with people. "Greeks, Greeks, Greeks! Everywhere you look you can only find." Yunsung's outburst was cut short when the crowd began to make way for a tired and exhausted looking Asian. The group could easily notice battle scars on his arms and chest.  
"Please! My country needs help!" the man pleaded to several on- lookers. He stopped in his tracks when he came closer to the group. "Yunsung! Seung Mina!" the man's eyes widened, and he pushed his way through Kilik, Xianghua, and Link.  
"It really is! Please! You two must return home! Monsters from another world are invading! Soon, they could take over the world!" he grabbed Yunsung by the shirt and clung on as he coughed out blood, ".there's one of our boats waiting at the port.use it to get home." he informed Yunsung as he fell down and closed his eyes forever. Judging by his scars, the man didn't look like he could've survived.  
Link took a closer look at the dead man. His scars were anything but ordinary to the people of this world. There was heavy bruising in a strange shape that only Link could recognize caused by.a Deku Scrub?! Link thought that coming to this world wouldn't cause any harm, but now there were Deku Scrubs? Clearly, something was going wrong. He took a second look at the man. The man had bite marks on his head caused by.the ReDeads!  
Link quickly stood up and looked at the group, "We must hurry back to Yunsung and Seung Mina's home."  
They all rushed to the port. Of course they could tell which boat was the one the man had spoken of. The group walked towards the boat decorated with dragons and lanterns and were greeted by the captain.  
"Oi! Yunsung! Seung Mina! Good to see ya! You headed back home?" he asked as he jumped off to greet them.  
"Wei Fu! It's good to see you too!" Seung Mina greeted the bearded man.  
"We need to get back, fast!" Yunsung informed the captain.  
"Alright young one! Hop on!" Wei Fu rubbed his hand on Yunsung's red hair and invited all of them onboard. Yunsung hated being called young. He was 18 for crying out loud!  
  
They were on deck, and Captain Wei Fu brought out a group of young men out. "Crew! Meet Yunsung, Seung Mina and their companions." he introduced the crew to the group.  
One man had caught both Kilik and Xianghua's attention. He didn't seem to be part of Captain Wei Fu's crew, though. "Umm.excuse me." Kilik waved at Wei Fu to get his attention. "Who is that man over there?" he pointed at a man clothed in white who was looking over the side of the boat.  
"Oh, that's another passenger. Said he wanted to get back to Asia so he could return to a village." Wei Fu ordered his men to set sail.  
After the introductions, Wei Fu noticed that Seung Mina had been hanging over the side of the boat for quite some time. "Aye there Mina! How are ya?" he asked the 23 year old woman.  
"Sick." she moaned. "Can you show me our room?" she staggered onto the old man.  
"Hahaha! A little seasick are we?" Wei Fu teased as he led her down where the rooms were.  
Several minutes later, he rushed back on deck. "Crew!" he yelled out, "I need a bucket." 


	5. Source of the Monsters

Amidst the small chaos for a bucket, Kilik and Xianghua decided to confront the man. "Excuse us." Xianghua said casually as both of them stood next by the man. "You headed for Asia?" Kilik asked.  
"Yeah." the man didn't seem happy at all.  
"What's your name?" Xianghua bent over to take a closer look at him.  
"Maxi. . . " the man faced Xianghua, "what's yours?" Hearing the name of their lost companion had caused a short silence. "What's your name?" Maxi repeated. "Oh! I'm Xianghua, and that's Kilik." she pointed at Kilik, who was also surprised to have found their lost companion.  
"Strange. . . have we met before?" Maxi took a closer look at both of them. "I think so. . . don't you remember traveling with us?" Xianghua couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
"I can remember traveling with my crew." Maxi answered thinking that she had lost her mind. "Maxi, don't you remember traveling with us to find Soul Edge?" Kilik stepped up to give it a shot.  
"No, but I do remember traveling alone to kill Astaroth." Maxi now backed away from them. They couldn't do anything. Xianghua and Kilik had truly lost their companion.  
******  
Talim found that Yunsung was standing at the front end of the ship be himself, so she decided to talk with her old, short-time partner. "Hello." she greeted as she walked to his side. "Oh, hi." he replied.  
"Umm. . . I was wondering. . . what will you do when we get to Korea?" Talim asked.  
"Simple. Korea's my home and I'm gonna stay there to protect it from those monsters." Yunsung answered with a wink.  
"Then, I'll help you!" Talim added.  
"Are you sure? I mean, you don't have to stay with me. You can go back home." Yunsung was surprised with her decision.  
Talim stared into the waters that reflected the orange and red colors of the sunset and looked back at him, "Well. . . I want to stay with you. . . "  
******  
Link couldn't help, but over hear Talim and Yunsung's conversation. To interrupt their silence he told them his idea that he'd been thinking about. "Excuse me. I'm sorry if I interrupt, but I think I know where the source of the monsters is." The news excited both Yunsung and Talim.  
"Really? Wait, let's go get everyone else." Yunsung ran over to Maxi, Kilik and Xianghua.  
******  
Kilik turned away from the conversation to release a sigh of annoyance. They had finally found Maxi, only to have found that he had forgotten about them  
"Friend of yours?" Yunsung was referring to Maxi.  
"We just met." Maxi answered. "Maxi." he held out his hand. "Yunsung." he quickly shook hands then faced Xianghua and Kilik.  
"Link had an idea about the monsters. C'mon!" Yunsung began to run back and turned back, "Your friend can come too."  
Soon they all gathered together. "So, Link, how do you think the monsters got here?" Talim asked.  
"Wait!" Xianghua stopped the conversation, "Where's Seung Mina?"  
  
The group ended up having their conversation inside, where their room was. Seung Mina held a bucket while Link told everyone about his theory. "I came from Hyrule. Great Fairies open portal in Temple of Time. Ganondorf maybe heard about this and planned to attack your world. He sends monsters from my world through portal to attack your world." Link's English was kind of rusty, but everyone understood what he said.  
"Wait, who's Ganondorf?" Xianghua asked.  
"Evil of Hyrule. He maybe wanting Soul Edge, so he send Gerudo Thieves to get it." Link answered with much effort.  
A thought had just struck Talim. "Link, when you went through the portal, where did you end up?" she asked him.  
"I was standing on strange rock. I was in front of town or village gate." Link thought back. "It could be anywhere." Yunsung laid out the facts. "Anywhere in the east." Kilik corrected.  
"But the man in Athens did say they were only attacking Korea. That narrows it down to any villages in Korea." Seung Mina weakly replied. "When I go inside village, man there scolded me, but I could not understand at that time." Link recalled. After hearing this, Seung Mina had a flashback of the time she left to find Yunsung.  
******  
Seung Mina gathered her belongings and headed for the gates of the village. As she walked towards the gates, she could see a strange man in green being scolded by one of the villagers. "Out! Out! Go away!" she could hear the man scold the stranger. The stranger quickly ran off. "Wonder what that was about?" Seung Mina asked herself.  
******  
"The portal. . . it's near my home. . . " Seung Mina held the bucket near her face. "Don't you mean our home?" Yunsung corrected the seasick Korean woman. Seung Mina's only reply was vomiting into the bucket. "Eww. . . so. . . if we look somewhere outside your village, we'll find this portal." Xianghua analyzed the newly received information. Seung Mina, Link and Yunsung nodded.  
Everyone prepared to sleep. Kilik and Xianghua needed some air, so they stepped out on deck.  
"What are we going to do Kilik? We finally find him, but he doesn't even know us." Xianghua was very disappointed at being this close to reuniting with her friend and finding out that he had become more distant.  
"Don't worry. Maxi will come back.he'll remember us, whether it'll be now or later." Kilik held Xianghua in his arms, who already had streams falling down her from her sparkling eyes.  
"Sorry to interrupt. . . " they both turned to see who it was, ". . . I couldn't resist helping you guys with the monster problem." It was Maxi. "You don't mind if I join you guys, do you?"  
Xianghua quickly wiped her face. "No, of course we don't mind." she answered. With Maxi traveling with them again, surely he'd remember them soon.  
******  
The Gerudo Thief came across a strange stone. She held the heavy blade over her shoulder and whistled a tune that she had probably learned from someone she had stolen from and vanished in a flash.  
  
******  
Several days had gone by and the group was getting anxious about arriving in Korea. Early in the morning, while all of them slept in their rooms, the captain crept inside. He held his breathe. "WE'RE HERE!!" he yelled in the middle of the room. Everyone woke up with a startle. ". . . wha. . . ?" Yunsung asked as he yawned.  
"Korea! We're here!" the captain repeated.  
Everyone rushed on deck and saw land. They expected to see boats and busy people loading and unloading the cargo, but instead they noticed that the ships were abandoned, the streets were empty, strange plants were planted in the ground and brown creatures slowly paced around the port. The group finally made it, and soon they would battle their way through to find the portal. 


	6. The Portal to Hyrule

The group rushed to the village. It wasn't the lively home Yunsung and Seung Mina had remembered. The streets were deserted. Doors were busted open. Rooftops had been scrambled around. Buildings had vines all over their walls. It was like a ghost town. "Where is everybody?" Talim asked as they walked through the abandoned village.  
"Maybe the monsters killed them off." Maxi answered while looking around. "No! That can't be true!" Seung Mina ran off towards the main temple.  
She found several guards bleeding from their heads. As she walked up the steps, one guard began to moan. Quickly, she turned around and began to ask the guard questions.  
"Where is everyone? Where is my father?" her hands were now on the guard's shoulders.  
". . . most of the men. . . stayed. . . to fight. . . women, children, elders, your father. . . they all were able to escape. . . do not worry. . . " the guard slowly closed his eyes after answering her question. Soon, the others rushed to Seung Mina's side. "Everyone fled to another village." Seung Mina informed them.  
"That's good news." Yunsung answered with a sigh of relief.  
"Now we just have to worry about this portal." Maxi added.  
While the group discussed more about the portal's whereabouts Link recalled the day he first came to this world. He remembered trying to enter the gates when a man scolded him away. Link began racing to the gate.  
"Hey!" Xianghua yelled after him, "Where're you going?"  
Link turned around once he reached the gate. "Portal outside village!"  
They split 3 groups: Link and Yunsung, Talim and Seung Mina, and Maxi, Kilik and Xianghua. Each group searched a particular area, outside the village walls, for any strange stones.  
******  
"This is great! Another adventure to another world. Just like old times, only we have Seung Mina, Yunsung, Talim and Link with us." Xianghua began as they searched the grassy area, filled with several stones, "This means we'll all be able to stay together longer." Xianghua picked up a small stone and tossed it aside. Kilik bent down to inspect a large stone on the ground, "Actually, we can still be together, even when we're through with our journey to the other world." Kilik assured his old friend.  
"Being the newest member of the group, I still have to get to know everyone better." Maxi sighed as he kicked a rock away.  
"You don't remember me or Kilik at all, do you?" Xianghua didn't seem like she would easily give up on Maxi. He sat down to take a rest, and Xianghua sat down as well. Maxi stared at the grass for a while.  
Images flashed in his mind. He found himself sitting in a campfire with Kilik and Xianghua. Soon, he found himself facing Astaroth. They offered to back him up, but he told them to go on without him. After Astaroth's defeat, the ground beneath him gave way, and he plunged into a dark abyss.  
". . . I already told you, I don't know any of you. If you want me to stay with you, quit annoying me with your stupid questions." Maxi glared at Xianghua.  
******  
Seung Mina wiped her forehead as she sat in the soft grass. "He could've described the rock a bit more. All of these rocks are strange enough to me." she fell on her back while Talim continued searching.  
"So, how long have you known Yunsung?" Seung Mina asked trying to get on a more interesting topic. "I've known him since I started my journey." Talim answered, a bit puzzled about the question.  
Seung Mina grinned, "I've never seen Yunsung act so shy and playful around girls, especially around you. I think it's a sign." Talim didn't know what Seung Mina was getting at, but she was eager to know. "What do you mean?" Talim asked.  
"Come on. He's flirting with you. Obviously, he likes you." Seung Mina dusted herself as she continued to search for a strange stone. ". . . he does. . . ?" Talim secretly blushed.  
******  
Yunsung climbed atop a nearby tree to get a better view. He still couldn't find any strange rocks. Link leaned against the tree to rest from what seemed like hours of searching. They could both hear the wind blowing against the grass, but other than that, there was silence between them.  
"Umm. . . you and Talim. . . you are. . . a couple?" Link suddenly asked. Yunsung was startled about this question that came out of the blue. "Huh?" was the only response he could think of.  
"You and Talim are a couple? I see you two hang around together. You enjoy each other's company. The way you stare at each other. You are a couple?" Link repeated. Yunsung stared at his Hylian companion.  
"No. . . we're just good friends. . . " Yunsung looked back at the field of rocks and grass.  
"Then. . . you two. . . like each other but hard to express?" To be honest, Yunsung, as well as everyone who noticed, didn't know about his relationship with Talim. They were just companions, right? Silence fell upon them again. Then a stone caught Link's attention. He ran several feet away from the tree. The stone was shaped like a trapezoid (Think of the stone where Link pulled out the Master Sword).  
"Yunsung! Stone. . . it's here!" Link jumped up while waving his arms to get his attention. "Great! I'll go get everyone else!" Yunsung jumped down from the tree and ran off.  
******  
"You should tell him before its too late." Seung Mina continued the conversation about Talim and Yunsung.  
"What do you mean by that?" Talim asked.  
"You never know when that person will just disappear from your life." Seung Mina's playful grin faded into a serious look. Their silence was cut short when Yunsung ran into the area they were searching.  
"Link found it! Come on!" Yunsung raced off to get Maxi, Kilik and Xianghua.  
******  
Everyone gathered around the stone Link had found. "So how do we get to your world?" Xianghua stared strangely at the stone. Link took out a small, blue instrument. He blew into it and the notes flowed into each of their ears like a river flowing through a tranquil forest. As he played, they were surrounded by a white light. The light disappeared, and the group found themselves in a white temple. Sunlight cracked through the high windows, lighting the floor which they stood on. The Song of Time had led them to Hyrule. 


	7. Strangers at Hyrule

"We're here." Link told the group as he entered a larger room. Everyone followed. Once they entered, they found 3 large jewels. One was like an emerald, the one in the middle was similar to a ruby, and the other was like a sapphire. Link came to a sudden halt.  
"What's wrong?" Talim asked.  
Realizing that most of his friends had become sages and were no longer reachable, he turned back, "We come at bad time." Link answered. He raced back into the chamber that they came from. Quickly unsheathing the Master Sword, he plunged it into the stone. Everyone saw a blue light surround him. Soon they were swallowed in a white light again.  
The light faded away, and the group found themselves in the same place, but instead of Link, they found a boy where he once stood. Strange.this place looks slightly bigger than last time Yunsung looked around. The boy walked towards everyone.  
"We can go out now." he told them.  
"What was that all about?" Yunsung noticed his voice had changed. He looked at himself, then at everyone else.  
"What happened?" Seung Mina asked in amazement.  
"We're. . . we're kids!" Xianghua exclaimed.  
"Follow me!" Young Link was now at the doors of the Temple of Time.  
The group of children was led out into the lively streets of Hyrule. Merchants made dealings with customers, other kids chased cuckoos, and people conversed loudly amongst one another. An old lady walked towards them. She said something in a strange language that nobody but Link could understand.  
"What'd she say?" Young Maxi asked.  
"She says we look like mischief makers." Young Link answered, "Follow me. We visit Great Fairy." Young Link led the group to the castle gates. He stopped at a vine and began to climb. Everyone followed him and ran quietly across the green field. They had to climb down the top of the gate, and avoid the guards as they made their way to what seemed like a dead end.  
"What do we do know?" Young Kilik asked as he made sure no guards had caught sight of them. Young Link climbed into a small big enough for kids like them.  
Once everyone had gotten through, they found themselves at a large fountain. In front of it was a symbol consisting of three triangles: the Triforce. Link stepped to the symbol and took out his ocarina. The young warriors gathered around their companion and listened to him play what sounded like a lullaby; Zelda's Lullaby. As soon as the song stopped, they could hear the laughter of a young lady. From the center of the fountain, a woman who was covered in vines sprung out and floated before them. Her magenta hair fluttered about as she talked to Link in the language everyone else couldn't understand.  
At the end of their conversation, the Great Fairy cast a glance at the children. Link stepped away from them. Soon, they disappeared into a bright light. They reappeared once the light faded away. The first thing they heard was the words of the Great Fairy. "I've granted you the knowledge of our language. Go now, warriors of the other world called Earth, and defeat the evil that threatens both of our worlds."  
"So where are we going next?" Kilik eagerly asked having learned a new language in just a couple seconds. "Kokiri Forest. You can meet my friend, Saria." Link answered in his language that everyone could now understand.  
"How far is it from here?" Maxi asked in the tongue of the Hylians.  
"Over at the other side of Hyrule." Link answered.  
Everyone cast a look of surprise. It would take them days to get there. "Don't worry. I've got the ocarina. With that, it'll take a couple seconds, and then we're there." Link said holding up his beloved instrument.  
With that said, he immediately blew into the ocarina. The song seemed to dance around their ears. It was a very bright song that made them visualize a forest with children in green playing around, and fairies lit up each and every corner. One by one, the group took to the sky in the form of a bright green ball of light.  
  
The group of light-balls landed on a similar looking floor from the one they stood on in the Temple of Time, only this time they were surrounded by greenery. "This is Kokiri Forest?" Talim asked while looking at an entrance to a temple high above." Link ran towards the stairs leading down and turned back, "No, this is the Lost Woods."  
Everyone climbed down the stairs and were soon encountered by Deku Scrubs. Quickly, each of them took out their weapons which were now larger than before. Everyone had no problem adjusting except for Yunsung, who had to hold his sword with both hands. They all charged through the mob of Deku Scrubs, slicing-and-dicing, tackling, and smashing their way through. "Up here!" Link told them as he climbed a ladder leading up the "maze." The hopped their way to the maze's entrance and ran out into another maze.  
"Now which way do we go?" Xianghua gripped her sword tightly, looking at the three paths ahead of them. "Simple, we go through the one where the music is faint." Link stepped towards the one in the middle.  
"It's really dark." Talim observed the large opening that looked like the inside of a giant log. "We'll have to run through it. It'll be pitch- black for several seconds, then we'll be at Kokiri Forest." Link recalled the time he began his journey to save Hyrule from Ganondorf.  
"Ready?" He turned to face his young friends. "3. . . " Talim quickly grabbed onto Yunsung's hand. ". . . .2. . . " Yunsung stared at Talim for a moment. She stared back with a look of determination on her face. Seung Mina looked at the two and quietly giggled. ". . . 1. . . " Being younger, they weren't as brave as they were before. They all braced themselves for the sprint through darkness. "RUN!!!!" Everyone stepped into what seemed like eternal darkness. Each of them could hear their footsteps beating fast against the wood below them. They could hear themselves breathing hard as they raced for what seemed like minutes rather than seconds.  
Instead of stopping the moment they saw light, they tumbled from the darkness, onto a small figure. Beneath the dog-pile, a squirming boy was screaming hysterically. "Hey! Get off me!" Everyone stood up and dusted themselves as the boy slowly got to his feet.  
"Talim," Xianghua whispered to the girl who was still recovering from the after-shock. "What is it?" Talim whispered back. Xianghua simply pointed at her hand that was still grasping Yunsung's hand firmly. Talim quickly put her hands behind her, staring at her feet and blushing. Everyone except Yunsung, Talim and the boy giggled amongst themselves.  
The elvish boy was around their age and had red hair that covered his eyes. Like Link, this boy had long, pointed ears and was dressed in green. Slowly, the group formed a circle around him. What quickly caught his attention was Link.  
"You! It's. . . it's really you! You've come back!" The boy pointed at Link's face. Although they couldn't see his eyes, the boy's mouth indicated his shock. "He's back! He's back!" the boy tripped several times in excitement as he ran to tell the other inhabitants.  
"So, this is Kokiri Forest." Seung Mina admired the small green village of children and fairies. "Hey Link, when do we get to see your house?" Yunsung looked at the houses which were much like giant tree stumps. "After we meet Saria." Link answered going down a path that led to the neighborhood of children in green.  
They had gone as far as where the path to the store started, when a mob of kids in green confronted the group of humans and one Hylian. The leader of the mob was a boy with pink circles on each cheek.  
"I am the Great Mido. What business do you have at the Kokiri Forest?" he circled around the group. Mido came to a halt in front of Link and grinned, "Look, the odd-ball has returned with a bunch of freaks." he pointed at Maxi's ears, who happened to be the closest to Mido and the pond.  
"I'll show you freak!" Young Maxi grabbed Mido by the shirt and hurled him into the pond. Although the other Kokiris didn't like Mido very much, they didn't want to see a strange being toss one of them into the pond. The boy they had encountered earlier ran towards Maxi and tackled him. This caused a sudden chain reaction between the boys, which led to more boys being tossed into the pond. All the boys battled in the pond while the girls stood by with looks of terror on their faces.  
"Hey!" They all turned to see a green-haired girl step out from one of the nearby houses. She walked up to the group of girls and soaked-up boys. "Since when did greeting people mean tossing them into the po-" her sentence was cut off when she set her eyes on a familiar-looking blonde Kokiri.  
". . . Link?" she took one step closer to the pond. ". . . is it really you?" All Link could do was nod back. "Link!" Saria ran into the pond and embraced her old friend. "I can't believe it! It's really you!" Saria gazed into his large eyes. How long had it been since she had been separated from best friend?  
"Let's celebrate Link's return!" A blonde Kokiri girl suggested. Shouts of joy and agreement came shortly in reply.  
******  
A large blade was firmly planted on the rocky ground. The most attentive feature was a large eye. On it, a reflection of large man could be seen. His laugh was deep and full of evil. ". . .yes. . .the legendary blade from the other world! HAHAHA!! Now, to test its power. . ." 


	8. From Kokiri to LonLon Ranch

It was nightfall in the Kokiri Forest and the celebration quickly died out to a little gathering at Link's house. Everyone sat in a circle, talking amongst themselves when Seung Mina stood up. "Hey! I know a little game we can play." she announced with a grin on her face. All the kids, human and Kokiri, eagerly waited to be entertained. "Truth or Dare!" All the girls gave gasps and giggles of delight while the boys could only stare at each other in confusion. Seung Mina quickly rejoined the circle and explained the game to the boys. The rules were simple: Pick either truth or dare. If it's a dare then you have to do what you're assigned to do. If you fail, you will face the consequences.  
"Alright! We'll go around the circle. . .starting with. . .Link!" Seung Mina chose her victim carefully. "Truth or dare?" Link sat down to think for a while. "Dare." his answer was followed by whispers. "I dare you to. . . put on that mask!" Seung Mina pointed at a mask that hung on Link's wall. It was skin colored all over and had a small, white head sticking out of the top. Link took the mask down and carefully placed it on his face. Needless to say, the mask looked ridiculous on him and they all giggled. Suddenly, everyone could hear a strange music play as Link performed a dance; the Kamaro Dance. Some of them burst into laughter.  
"Okay, okay! You can stop!" Seung Mina commanded while giggling. "Okay, now you can pick who's next." she informed Link who sat back in his spot. ". . .Yunsung!" Link looked at the Korean boy who sat across from him. "Truth or Dare?" Truth seemed really boring, so Yunsung answered, "Dare."  
Once again, the quiet whispers followed the answer. "Hmmm. . ." Link had to admit, he couldn't think of anything. Seung Mina crawled beside Link and whispered something in his elvish ears. "Oh! That's a good one! But what if he doesn't?" he asked aloud. Seung Mina quickly whispered back and returned to her spot.  
"Okay." Link stood up to get everyone's attention. "Yunsung, you will have to kiss Talim." Everyone started talking amongst themselves, and Yunsung stood up on his feet, "Hey but. . ."  
Link raised his hands, signaling everyone to quiet down. "If you can't do this. . . then you'll have to sleep inside the Great Deku Tree for the rest of the night." Yunsung knew this was Seung Mina's doing. He didn't want to sleep inside a dead tree. Besides, it wasn't respectful. Yunsung glared at Seung Mina for a while. After several minutes of silence, he walked towards Talim and knelt beside her. All Talim could do was stare at the floor. Yunsung slowly leaned towards Talim's face. She could hear his breathing quicken as he neared her. Yunsung closed his eyes and quickly gave her a peck on the cheek. The audience started clapping and cheering as Yunsung quickly ran to his spot, his face bright red.  
The night continued with more truths and dares. Eventually, the Kokiris returned to their houses and slept soundly through the night while the humans crashed in at Link's place. The only thing they could hear were the soothing melodies of nearby crickets. Maxi, unfortunately, woke up after bumping his head against the table. There was very little room to sleep in. Everyone but Link had picked a spot on the floor for themselves. They were quite a group, so of course some had to sleep sitting up. Realizing he couldn't do anything, Maxi slowly stood on his feet and stepped around and over several of his sleeping friends. As he neared the door, his foot was caught onto Kilik's long coat. He tugged his foot several times in an attempt to quietly take it out, but ended up tripping out on the balcony. At least he was able to get some fresh, night, forest air.  
  
Kilik had awoken after feeling several pulls on his coat. His vision blurred for a while, and he could see a figure out on the balcony. Soon, he regained his vision and found out that it was Maxi. He got to his feet and walked towards him.  
"Can't sleep?" Maxi heard a voice behind him. He turned and found Kilik, who was stretching and yawning.  
"Yeah. . ." Maxi turned back and leaned on the balcony.  
Kilik walked to his side. "I remember we had fun like this back then."  
Maxi smiled, "Uh huh."  
Is he starting to remember? Kilik decided to ask some questions. "So, do you remember traveling with me and Xianghua?"  
"Well. . . to be honest. . . I do remember traveling with two others." Maxi gave a thoughtful look.  
"Then you do remember!" Kilik placed his hands on Maxi shoulders. Maxi raised an eyebrow. "Okay, just because I remember traveling with two people doesn't mean it's you two." Maxi pushed his hands off of his shoulders and backed away.  
"FINE!! Then who do you think were the two people that traveled with you?!" Kilik stepped towards Maxi. "Someone from my crew." Maxi answered with his eyes closed. "Will you lay off the story of you and your crew?! They're dead! Okay?! DEAD!!" Kilik had had enough of Maxi's crew.  
Maxi didn't seem happy as well. Listening to Kilik repeatedly tell him the cold hard fact about his dead crew struck a cord. He clenched his fists. The words ringing in his ears, "THEY'RE DEAD!!" Maxi couldn't bottle up his anger any longer. "STOP IT!!" he slammed his fist against Kilik's left cheek. Maxi was now panting after releasing his anger on the boy who was now on his knees.  
Kilik spat out a some blood. He got up and wiped the small trace of blood from his mouth, glaring at Maxi. Being young, they weren't as mature as they were before. Kilik grabbed Maxi's vest and tossed him to the other side of the balcony, but he didn't stop there; as Maxi got up to his feet, Kilik got on all fours and kicked Maxi's ankles, causing Maxi to lose his balance and fall off the balcony, headfirst.  
Realizing what he had done, Kilik rushed down the ladder and ran to the unconscious pirate boy.  
"Maxi! Hey Maxi!" Kilik was now shaking him.  
Maxi moaned as he slowly opened his eyes. "Kilik?"  
"Hey, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to! It's just that. . . well . . . you keep talking about your crew too much, and I couldn't accept the fact that you hardly remembered me or Xianghua. I didn't want to be forgotten. . ." Kilik quickly explained.  
"What are you talking about?" Maxi gave him a quizzical look. "Is this some kind of game? Of course I remember traveling with you and Xianghua. How could I forget?"  
That fall on the head must have triggered something! He's back! Maxi's back!  
"Maxi! It's really you!" Kilik squeezed his old friend in a tight embrace and patted his back.  
"Yeah! I know! Can you let go of me?" Maxi ordered.  
Everyone else came down from Link's house.  
"What are you two doing out of bed?" Seung Mina asked.  
Kilik couldn't hide his joy. He ran to Xianghua to tell her the news. "What's the matter with you Kilik?" Xianghua was confused as to why he was so jumpy.  
"He's back! Maxi's back! It's really him!" Kilik was lost in his excitement and ended up talking too fast.  
"Dang. . . when we all traveled for Soul Edge, Kilik wasn't this happy, right Xianghua?" Maxi asked.  
The question made Xianghua realize that Kilik was right! Maxi had regained his memories! "Maxi! You remember!" Xianghua ran up to embrace Maxi. Everyone else stood by with smiles as they watched the three old friends reunite.  
With that done, everyone finally got their sleep.  
******  
Somewhere in the center of Hyrule, stood a farm. A girl with long, red hair stepped out to do her early chores. She went out into the field where all the horses were and began feeding them. The sky was still dark, but she stopped her work when she saw a bright, red light from the Gerudo Valley. She rushed to the fence and hopped onto a box to get a better view. While she looked, a small horse approached her.  
"Epona, he's back." the girl whispered to the horse, her voice trembling with fear. She looked back and saw that the red light was slowly making its way to the ranch.  
******  
Back in Kokiri Forest, all the Kokiris gathered around near the entrance that led to the bridge and out to Hyrule to say farewell to the humans and the Hylian.  
"Umm. . .why are we going to Bon-Bon Ranch?" Yunsung asked Link while he picked up his bags and belongings.  
"It's Lon-Lon Ranch. We're going there to meet my friend Malon." Link answered, still waving good-bye to the crowd of Kokiri children. "Everyone ready?" he looked at everyone to make sure they were all prepared. The group nodded and left for the bridge.  
"So, you saved this whole world from falling into the rule of Ganondorf?" Xianghua asked Link as they crossed the bridge.  
"Not just me. There were the Kokiris, the Gorons, the Zoras, the Sages, Epona, and Malon." Link added.  
"Link!" a voice called out.  
Everyone turned around and saw Saria running towards them. "What is it?" Link asked. "You better hurry. Something terrible is going to happen at Lon-Lon Ranch!" she panted, after running after them. "What?!" Link's face showed a great amount of concern. "A messenger came last night. Read it." Saria handed Link a rolled up parchment.  
"Link, something evil is headed towards the Ranch. I could feel its hate and thirst for power when I saw a red light coming from the Gerudo Valley. Please, hurry!" Link scanned through the letter. They all knew, at that moment, Earth and Hyrule were once again in danger. 


	9. Battle at LonLon Ranch

The sun was already setting in Hyrule, and the group had all made it in front of the gates of Lon-Lon Ranch.  
"Link. . .don't you think we should've turned back into our old selves before we came here?" an exhausted Seung Mina asked the Hylian who didn't seem tired at all. Link faced all of them.  
"At our normal age, most of my friends wouldn't be here. As little kids, we'll be able to explore Hyrule at a time of peace." Link replied.  
"Okay! Then let's go!" Yunsung ran through the gates, followed by the rest of the group.  
  
Everyone entered the ranch. It seemed completely deserted (considering the fact that there are only 3 people that live there). As they neared the open fields, they could see 3 figures facing where the Gerudo Valley lay ahead. One of them was a short, stout man, another was the exact opposite. Between the two men was a small, red-haired girl. She was the first to notice their presence and turned around to see them.  
"Link. . .?" The girl said with a look of shock.  
The two men turned around to see the visitors as well.  
"Papa! Ingo! He's back!" The girl told both men, this time with a smile on her face.  
Most of the group expected the girl to run towards Link, but this time, they both ran towards each other, so the followed him.  
"Link! It's so good to see you again! Where have you been?" They all noticed the girl's sapphire eyes sparkle with joy.  
"I had to go to another world called Earth. I was supposed to destroy a sword that had the power to destroy both our world and theirs, but I guess someone beat me to it." Link was referring to Talim.  
The girl looked at all of them with great interest; especially their ears. "Who are they?" she asked Link, still looking at them.  
"Oh! Malon, these are my friends from Earth." Link realized he had to get to the introductions. While everyone was being introduced, a small horse approached them.  
"Epona!" Link ran to the horse and began patting her. "She really missed you." Malon said as she approached the boy and the horse.  
After introducing everyone, Link decided to get back on the topic at hand.  
"So, where's this light coming from again?" he asked Malon.  
Malon walked towards the fence and motioned for Link to climb on the box to get a better view. That's when he saw it: It was a vicious, red glow, surrounding the already red rocks of the Gerudo Valley. The red and orange from the sunset only made the glow appear more evil.  
"What is it?" Yunsung asked, breaking the silence. Link quietly stepped down, enabling Yunsung to get a chance to see. The red light made Yunsung's face glow red as he stared in horror. "Isn't that. . .Soul Edge?"  
  
"What?! It can't be!" Xianghua stepped forward, "I thought it was destroyed."  
"I guess you guys were wrong." Ingo replied, staring at the light. At that moment, Yunsung noticed the light moving in a faster pace. His eyes were now wide open.  
"What's going on now?!" Talim asked after realizing Yunsung's change in expression.  
"It's coming this way and fast!" he told everyone, not keeping his eyes off the light.  
"Well, don't just stand there!" Talon ordered the children. "You got weapons right?" All the humans and Link nodded. "Then let's get ready!"  
At his command, everyone took out their weapons. "You three, get inside!" Link commanded the three residents of the ranch. "I'll help you!" Malon said as the two older men left herded the horses into the stables. "Malon, I don't want you to get hurt. Please, go inside." Link reasoned with her. Malon wanted to object, but instead she sighed and left.  
"Yunsung! How far is it?" Kilik asked as everyone prepared themselves. "I can see a man in the light!" Yunsung reported as he hopped down from the boxes. "Let me check." Link climbed up. His mouth gaped open. "It's not just a man. . ." Link looked at the dark man with red hair and a sinister grin. ". . .it's Ganondorf. . ."  
******  
Ganondorf was running towards the ranch. He could see children popping their heads up to see who was threatening the ranch. "I will let them have a taste of my true power." he gripped Soul Edge tightly in his hands. With that said, he took to the sky and was now soaring in the air. Within seconds, he landed in front of the group of children. He noticed that each of them had their own weapon.  
"Heh. . .do you think that a group of children like yourselves can stop the powerful wizard, Ganondorf?" he circled all of them. He stopped in front of Link and looked around at everyone else. "Ah yes. . .I remember you. . .the fairy boy. . .and these are the creatures from Earth. . .humans. . .are they not?" His question was followed by silence.  
"I know that most of you. . .maybe all of you. . .sought out this sword. . ." Ganondorf raised Soul Edge in the air, allowing each of them to take a better look at it. ". . .but now. . .it is in my possession." Ganondorf put the sword back to his side and continued circling them, "It's sad. . .all of you sought out for this power, only to have it taken from you. . ." he taunted.  
"That's not true!" Talim stepped up. "All of us wanted to destroy the sword, so it would not claim another innocent. . .and to prevent those like you from using it."  
Those words made Yunsung feel uncomfortable. He was the only one who actually wanted to use the sword. Did this mean that he was like Ganondorf? No! He wasn't! Yunsung let out a battle cry and lunged at Ganondorf. His blow was blocked by none other than Soul Edge.  
"Hmm. . .you must be the only one out of these children who wanted to use the sword as well. . ." Ganondorf examined while their swords were still crossed.  
"What?! How do you know?" Yunsung was surprised that this evil man knew the intention he had had for the sword.  
"I'll have you know I have Gerudo Thieves search all over your world for Soul Edge. Although most of them return without the sword, they do have interesting stories to tell." Ganondorf pushed Yunsung away.  
"I'll spare you by letting you watch me destroy this ranch as I test this sword's power." Ganondorf headed for the houses, when Link and everyone else blocked his path. "If you all want to die, I'll gladly kill you." Ganondorf readied Soul Edge.  
Link was the first to attack. He jumped high into the air, sword raised high. While Ganondorf's attention focused on Link, Xianghua charged forward, followed by Kilik, Maxi, and Talim.  
Ganondorf blocked Link as their swords smashed against each other. Then, he grabbed Link and tossed him at the group that charged towards him. They were all knocked down giving Ganondorf the opportunity to strike. He raised his sword and brought it down.  
Everyone dodged the blow, but the impact caused a rumble in the ground. Their battle turned into a small earthquake as they dodged Ganondorf's attacks while trying to hit him.  
All Yunsung did was watch as thoughts sped through his head. All of them wanted to save the world. All he wanted was power to prove himself. All of them had a good heart, but he now thought of himself as someone evil. Wait. . .they wanted to save the world, Ganondorf wanted to conquer both worlds, and he wanted to prove himself. They were good, Ganondorf was evil. Would that mean that he was in the middle? Yes, it was him to choose whether he was good or evil; whether he could also save both worlds or destroy them. He decided to choose later and help his friends now.  
Yunsung rushed towards the battle, with his sword in hand. His target: Ganondorf. Once he was about a foot away, he thrust his sword forward, hoping it would impale his target. Instead, White Storm grazed past Ganondorf's side, leaving a shallow cut.  
Ganondorf felt a small sting on his side and turned around. He found the small, red-haired Korean boy and his sword with the tip covered in blood. With this, Ganondorf raised his sword and brought it down on Yunsung.  
Just because Ganondorf had power, it didn't mean he had speed. Yunsung easily dodged the attack and hopped on Ganondorf's back. He placed his hands on Ganondorf's eyes.  
"Get off of me you little parasite!" Ganondorf's hand waved around the air, trying to grasp the little boy.  
At that moment, everyone heard a door slide open. They all turned around to see what happened. Even Yunsung, let go of Ganondorf's face to see what was the matter.  
It was Malon. She had opened the stable doors and released all the horses. "Get out of the way!" she yelled at her friends as the horses stampeded towards their battle. Ganondorf saw his chance and grabbed Yunsung from his back. He held him at his neck and glared at him for a moment. Once the horses were several meters away, Ganondorf tossed Yunsung to the ground and fled back to Gerudo Valley.  
"Next time, I will conquer all of Hyrule!" Ganondorf's voice boomed across the sky as he flew away.  
As everyone else fled to the houses, Talim noticed that Yunsung was still down on the ground. She ran along with the horses, hoping that he hadn't been trampled over. As she neared the ranch's tower, she could see Yunsung unconscious body. Thankfully, it was out of the way of the horses' path. She ran to his side and waited for the horses to calm down.  
Eventually the horses came to a halt and were brought back into the stables for the night. Malon invited everyone to stay at her house for the night, where they could plan out what to do about Ganondorf and Soul Edge's return. 


	10. Onward to Hyrule Castle!

The door to Malon's room swung open and everyone turned to see who it was: Talim came in, carrying Yunsung's limp body. They all gathered around the two and helped Talim bring Yunsung to a bed.  
"That was really strange of him to start the fight and end up sitting and watch us do the rest, don't you think?" Seung Mina took a seat on one of the chairs next to the bed.  
"Well gosh, you can't blame him." Xianghua said thoughtfully.  
"Exactly. Besides, what Ganondorf said must've really done something to him." Kilik added.  
"Ganondorf must have made him think that he too was evil, just because he wanted to use the sword instead of destroy it." Maxi recalled what had happened earlier in the field.  
"But he isn't evil." Link was leaning against the wall while listening.  
"Of course he isn't!" Seung Mina scooted her chair over to the conversation, "He's just. . .well. . .young, and when you're young, your mind can be more vulnerable because of lack of knowledge, but then again I'm not saying that the kid's weak or anything it's just. . .agh! I dunno!" Seung Mina was now lost in her own confusion.  
While everyone conversed about what had happened to Yunsung, Talim kneeled next to the bed where Yunsung laid quietly.  
"I know you're not evil. . .and you're not weak. . ." Talim quietly told him, although she knew that he couldn't hear her. She placed her hand on his and gently rubbed it. ". . .what I don't know is why you still want power when you could protect your country with the strength you already have. . ."  
". . .because I have to beat Hwang. . ." Yunsung whispered, his eyes still closed, ". . .because I have to prove to them that I'm stronger than him. . ." he slowly sat up. Everyone noticed this and immediately became silent.  
"So, where are we headed now?" Yunsung asked.  
"Hyrule Castle." Link got up from the wall and pulled up his tunic.  
"For what?"  
"To see Princess Zelda."  
"How come?"  
"Ganondorf has Soul Edge, and his main target is Hyrule Castle. We have to make sure she's all right before we go back to our old selves." Link finished his sentence with a stretch and a yawn.  
They all heard a knock on the door. Xianghua, who was the closest, opened the door and found Malon, with a load of blankets.  
"Oh thank you!" Xianghua helped Malon hand out some blankets to everyone who already had their spots on the floor. As Yunsung got out of the bed and picked a spot on the floor Link confronted him.  
"You should stay in bed. After being tossed by Ganondorf like that, your body needs to rest on something soft." Link brought him back to the bed.  
"Well, good night! I'll see you all in the morning!" Malon blew out the candles and left the room.  
Around about 20-30 minutes had passed, and only 3 of the youngest of the group were still awake. Those three could hear a girl singing out in the field; Malon. Link, assuming that everyone was asleep quietly left the room and headed out into the field. Yunsung immediately sat up after Link had left and looked around. Xianghua was near the door. Kilik was right beside her, and beside him was Maxi. Right next to the bed Yunsung slept on was Talim, only she was wide awake also.  
"Can't sleep?" Yunsung whispered to her from the bed.  
Talim nodded.  
Yunsung got off of the bed and knelt next to Talim. "You can sleep there." Yunsung offered.  
"Are you sure?" Talim asked to make sure.  
"Yeah."  
Talim climbed onto the bed and cuddled into the warm pillow. Within several minutes she fell asleep.  
Yunsung looked up from his spot to check if she was asleep. He leaned closer until his face was inches away from Talim's. He missed those days when he traveled with Talim alone, but their time together was cut short because of his own selfishness and probably stupidity. He regretted that and wished he could have destroyed the sword together with her instead of tying to prove himself, but he couldn't change what had been done.  
Before going back to bed, Yunsung gave Talim a secret kiss on her forehead and went back to his spot. He then thought about what he had been thinking about during the time Ganondorf came. He still couldn't decide whether he was good or evil; whether he could save both worlds or destroy them. For now, he remained in the middle.  
Talim opened one of her eyes. She had been faking her sleep all along. Talim managed a smile and went back to bed.  
******  
Link walked towards the field. He could see Malon and a small horse trotting around her; Epona. Link remembered the days when he'd travel around Hyrule. Sometimes he'd stop by the ranch at night, just to listen to Malon sing.  
He continued walking towards Malon. She didn't notice him because she was facing the other direction. Link was now right behind her and quietly listened to her sing one of his favorite tunes.  
Malon had finished and right when she was about to repeat it, she heard Link's voice from behind her.  
"I remember the first time you taught me that song."  
She turned around and saw her friend, the fairy boy. "Link, why are you up so late?"  
"Couldn't sleep. . .what about you?" he have her a playful smile.  
"You should know that I always come out to sing every night. It's a habit." Malon began rubbing her hand across Epona's back. Both of them couldn't think of anything else to say. After several minutes, Malon decided to start another conversation.  
"You're quite popular with the girls." she began.  
"Huh?" the topic confused Link.  
"There's that Kokiri girl, Saria, two princesses: Princess Ruto and Princess Zelda. . ."  
"Oh my gosh! I almost forgot to introduce them to Princess Ruto!" Link slapped his forehead in annoyance.  
"Can't you just go there after you meet up with Princess Zelda?"  
"Well. . .the Temple of Time is closest to the castle and I don't want to waste time. Who knows how much Ganondorf could do!" Malon could tell that Link was getting frustrated.  
"I guess you'll have to go meet up with Princess Ruto first."  
"Great! Then there's Darunia too!" Link now had both hands on his head.  
"Well. . .it's your choice whether they should meet them or not. If they're really important, then I guess you would have to meet them." Malon tried to help sort things out.  
"Hmm. . .there are only 3 important people I wanted them to meet. That would be Saria, Princess Zelda and you."  
"But what makes me more important than the leader of the Gorons or the Princess of the Zoras?" Malon probably missed the 'hint' there or new about it, but was too shy to show that she knew.  
"You gave me Epona, and you taught me a song that I'd never forget." Link answered as if that made Malon seem more superior than his 'brother' (Darunia) and 'wife to be' (Ruto).  
"But that doesn't seem important. . ." Malon stared at her feet.  
"To me it is." Link came closer to her. They both stared at each other for a while. Malon remembered the time when Link traversed Hyrule. Every time he would run into the ranch, Malon became excited to see him. He wasn't like most of the boys she knew. Link was quiet and brave. Most boys were boastful and all talk. She had to admit that she thought of him as the cutest boy of Hyrule. Even after seeing these Earthling boys, she still thought he was the cutest.  
Link thought of Saria and Zelda as his sisters, but he couldn't decide about Malon. Sure, she was one of his best friends, but whenever he was around her, he started to feel funny. It was harder for him to talk, and his heart would beat faster; especially during the time when he came to the ranch as an adult.  
Both didn't know what to do. All they could do was stare. Suddenly, as if it were some kind of reflex, Malon leaned towards Link and kissed him. It was short and simple, yet soft and sweet. Link stared at her blankly for a while.  
"Sorry. . .I shouldn't have done that." Malon began to walk away with Epona when suddenly she felt Link grab her arm and pull her towards him. Their lips were each pressed softly against each other in a passion of both of their feelings they had towards one another as a child and an adult.  
After several seconds, they slowly pulled away from each other. Link's arms were wrapped around Malon's waist while Malon's hands rested on Link's shoulders. It would've been better if they had shared their first kiss as adults, but the sooner the better.  
******  
Now everyone but Yunsung had fallen asleep. He couldn't help to wonder what Link was doing. If all his friends were with safe with him, he could sleep. As if a genie had granted his wish, the door slowly creaked open, and a familiar boy in green quietly stepped in and went to his spot on the floor. At last, Yunsung could go to sleep.  
  
Morning came, and everyone was already at the gates of the ranch, readying for the trip to the castle. The sun was still making its way up from the mountains and they decided to set off. They were now several yards away from the ranch and they heard someone shout out.  
"Link!" everyone turned around and saw Malon at the gates of the ranch waving her arms.  
Link waved back and so did everyone else. They continued walking towards the castle, Malon's long red hair was just a red speck in the distance.  
  
The sun was now high in the sky while the group neared the castle.  
"I can't wait till I become grown-up again!" Yunsung exclaimed.  
"Remember, we don't change until after we meet princess Zelda." Maxi reminded the third to youngest of the group.  
"It'll be easy! We'll just go in, say hi and leave." Yunsung stretched his arms.  
"Actually, we have to sneak in past the guards again." Link corrected.  
"What?!" Yunsung dropped his hands back to his side.  
They finally reached the open gates. All of them entered and saw the same people, maybe even more, doing their usual things such as bartering, begging, chasing, and gossiping. As they made their way to the path that led to the castle, they saw the same old lady pass by them.  
"Bunch of troublesome kids, wandering into the castle." she muttered as she walked away.  
"Come on!" Link ordered them all as he led them to the same path they went to when they visited the Great Fairy.  
This time, instead of going to the dead end, they all followed Link across the green fields while staying low.  
  
One of the guards nearby looked across the field, as he would every day he was on guard. Usually he'd find nothing suspicious, but something caught his eyes: two red objects (Kilik's coat and Yunsung's hair.)  
"Hey! Hey you! Stop where you are!" he shouted to them.  
  
They were spotted and tried to get away, but they were immediately surround by the castle guards.  
  
One by one, they were tossed in front of the main gate.  
"Don't think you can sneak past us with your red hair and red coat!" one of the guards warned.  
"Great! And what are we supposed to do now?" Yunsung rubbed his back after landing on it.  
"We wait until night. It'll be harder for them to see us." Link walked towards the fountain.  
"What about my coat?" Kilik asked.  
"And my hair?" Yunsung added.  
"I don't think Kilik's coat will be much of a problem at night if we stay low, but Yunsung's hair might still be visible." Maxi concluded.  
"That won't be a problem." Link patted his cap that rested on his head.  
  
Well, I think that went well. So, I have a quick question for the readers: should our heroes stay as kids as they venture through Hyrule, or should they turn back to adults? (NOTE: They will eventually turn back into adults before they go back to Earth.) 


End file.
